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Balearic Islands: The fantastic four

1 Sep 2022 by BusinessTraveller
Narrow pedestrian streets in Ibiza old town centre (Alexander Nikiforov/iStock

Extend your summer with a trip to one of the Balearic islands, each of which has plenty to offer to the curious traveller.

My introduction to the Balearics came like many, through music. Growing up in Nottingham, we danced to a Balearic beat in the Midlands’ house music hotspot. So, my brother’s choice of 21st birthday party was to celebrate at the origin of the source: the White Isle itself, Ibiza. In a head-scratching moment, we found we had been booked into family-friendly Portinatx in the north rather than banging San Antonio.

This travel agent intervention turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We found chillout zones away from the superclubs, in the great outdoors. While these tranquil areas have always existed, they’ve become more conspicuous as the islands have embraced more diverse types of traveller. In broadening their appeal, the islands have consolidated their status as one of Europe’s most popular tourist regions. In May 2022, more than 1.6 million holidaymakers arrived in the Balearics, more than any other region in Spain. If even conservative estimates are to be believed, the island group’s GDP is set to grow by up to 7.1 per cent in 2022, following a bumper summer season.

An autonomous Spanish community, the Balearics are between 80km and 300km east of mainland Iberia and have an east-west divide. The eastern group of islands are the Balearics proper and are made up of Mallorca, Menorca and tiny Cabrera. Over in the west are Ibiza and Formentera, formally known as the Pitiusas. The beauty of the Balearics is the diversity in terms of geography and philosophy. You can do something different every day with the merest of island hops. Dance the night away, dine fine, brush up on your watersports skills, and enjoy superb wellness facilities on these four fantastic islands.

Best for hedonists: Ibiza

Ibiza was originally a haven for hippies before metamorphosing into an island appealing to clubbers and celebrities, with the likes of David Bowie name-checking it in his song Life on Mars: “From Ibiza to the Norfolk broads”. Later, fashionistas such as Kate Moss would choose it for their holidays. The supermodel continues to frequent the island with her family, most recently staying at Sant Jordi de las Salines’ Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza.

Two of the most popular locations on the island are Ibiza Old Town – the Renaissance-era Dalt Vila – and the altogether more modern Sant Antoni de Portmany, where the west coast displays its most wild side. Between the two, you will find Amnesia, one of the island’s superclubs. Established in 1976 near to the village of San Rafael, the award-winning venue has been recognised as a dance music mecca. Ibiza’s music scene is broader than repetitive beats. The island has tapped into a more primeval, headbanging sound. Ibiza Rocks kicked off heavier proceedings in 2008, housed in an adults-only hotel formerly known as Club Paraiso Mediterraneo. Other nightclubs on the island include Pacha, which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2023 and sunset destination of choice, Café Mambo Ibiza.

Only the best DJs get invited to take charge of turntables in Ibiza. Many of them flock from the UK to the lively island. Judge Jules is famed for entertaining clubbers with his trance-heavy sets; Carl Cox offers techno tunes and Pete Tong has been an essential fixture for many a long, hot Ibiza summer. And if it’s dance anthems you’re after, Dave Pearce is reliably on hand to provide them. As well as Brits, America’s finest, Roger Sanchez, spins to entertain the hearts and minds of clubbers. Then there’s ambient overlord, Sven Vath with his Teutonic beats. Another DJ to earn her residence is Uruguay’s Tania Vulcano, one of the consistently hottest tickets in town.

Thankfully summer lasts longer in Ibiza. The season tends to begin in April or May and extends all the way through to September or October. Opening and closing parties offer a sensational introduction and triumphant farewell to Ibiza’s clubbing scene.

  • Getting here: The island’s airport (IBZ) is located 7km southwest of Ibiza Old Town. International flights are seasonal, with domestic services offered year-round. British Airways, Easyjet, Jet 2 and Ryanair connect UK clubbers with the White Isle during peak months. Once landed, Ibiza is easy enough to navigate. There are Ubers and taxis to take you from the airport to the resorts and beyond. An inexpensive public bus service connects the major island destinations but if you prefer more privacy, there are several car rental firms. For something different, take the water taxi from Ibiza Old Town to Figueretes, Marina Botafoch, Playa d’en Bossa or Talamanca. Then there’s the cut-price glamour of the disco bus which ferries ravers to the club of their choice from midnight to six in the morning.
Soller, port area, Mallorca – Credit Soller Tanja Cotoaga/Unsplash

Best for gourmets: Mallorca

It is easier to eat well than badly in the Balearics even if you factor in the establishments boasting the English breakfast as their signature dish. With ten Michelin stars spread across nine of its eateries, it is Mallorca that is the most foodie-friendly.

Mallorca’s only Michelin two-star establishment is Voro at Cap Vermell Grand Hotel in easterly Canyamel, headed up by executive chef Alvaro Salazar. Michelin inspectors lauded the establishment for its innovative reinvention where “fresh, contemporary cooking plays with flavours and textures in a quest to reinterpret time-honoured dishes”. Diners can pick from two tasting menus – 17 or 22 courses – and a wine list boasting 300 references. The island’s wine country is situated in and around the central municipality of Binissalem. In most restaurants, you will be offered a complimentary hierbas – a mint and aniseed-flavoured Mallorcan liqueur.

All new for 2022, Maca de Castro has put northerly Puerto de Alcudia on the culinary map with its one Michelin star. The eponymous chef sources vegetables from her allotment in Sa Pobla. Another of Mallorca’s one-stars is Fernando Perez Arellano’s Zaranda offering two tasting menus (dermis and epidermis) out of a new base in the capital Palma de Mallorca’s Es Princep hotel.

Also in Palma, on the island’s south coast, is Adrian Quetglas with its namesake chef using his menus to narrate a gastronomic journey from Mallorca to London, Paris, Moscow, and back again. Another capital entry is Dins Santi Taura with its tagline “We cook history”, which enjoys a stunning setting close to the cathedral. Completing the Palma foursome is Marc Fosh, situated in the 17th-century Hotel Convent de la Missio.

On the eastern side of the island in Capdepera, Restaurante Andreu Genestra is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. Es Fum, sited within the luscious grounds of St Regis Mardavall Hotel, has been a longstanding favourite in the Michelin books, holding one star since 2011. And finally, order bouillabaisse at Bens d’Avall, in Soller in the north-west, for a mouthwatering combination of local rockfish, red prawns, squid, and snails in a marine broth enlivened with saffron gnocchi and citrus seasoning.

Those following a plant-based diet won’t go hungry on Mallorca either. The island kick-started Spain’s vegan revolution. While it has since closed, Bon Lloc in Palma was the trailblazer, opening in 1978 as the island’s first vegetarian restaurant before going fully vegan in 2014. There are still hundreds of options for those shunning meat, fish, and dairy as the directory Happy Cow (happycow.net) gleefully shares. These vegan hotspots include Restaurante Bellaverde in the northern resort town of Port de Pollenca. The courtyard setting in the shade of centuries-old fig trees is an idyllic spot to tuck into a vegan breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Wherever you are on the island, you will be able to find a market. These tend to open around 9am and close for lunch. One of the most historic markets in Mallorca is Palma de Mallorca’s Mercat de l’Olivar. Get your greens at the organic Va de Bio stall, and let sister and brother Juana Mari and Felip prepare you a selection of cheese and cold cuts at Xarcuteria La Preferida (stands 41 and 42).

As for the island’s most distinctive dishes, there’s frito mallorquin – pan-fried seasonal diced vegetables with lamb – and cocas – Mallorca’s favourite pastry which can be either sweet or savoury, or (if you can’t make your mind up) combine both flavours on the same dough.

  • Getting here: Fly into Palma de Mallorca airport with British Airways, Easyjet, Jet 2, Ryanair, and Tui. It is a short 8km westerly drive to reach the capital. Denia in Alicante is the closest port on the Spanish mainland if you prefer to arrive by ferry.

Best for watersports: Formentera

As islands, all of the Balearics offer more or less ideal conditions for watersports. However, the less populated Formentera, the smallest of the four islands, offers plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the mighty Med. Water that is clearer than the day is perfect for snorkelling and there are many chartering opportunities for sailing at your disposal.

There are 17 major beaches to explore on Formentera and the connected islet of Espalmador. Companies such as Formentera Natural can show you around. If you are holidaying in Ibiza, they offer a snorkelling package which includes a round-trip ferry ticket. The three-hour excursion includes visits to Espalmador, Cala del Moro, The Cuevas and Bay de Cala Saona.

For visitors to the island who have invested in their own fins, mask and snorkel, the best spots can be found on the west coast and in the north near Espalmador. Cova Rosa is only accessible by boat, which makes it feel like a secret hideaway. Heading north, the similarly unspoiled Punta Rasa is a trip worth finishing with a drink at the cash-only chiringuito to accompany the sunset.

Reaching the north coast’s Platja de Ses Illetes feels like you have made a wrong turn into the pages of a Caribbean travel brochure. This quiet 450m-long beach is particularly tranquil in the morning, and it’s worth staying for the Formentera prawn carpaccio at rustic Es Moli de Sal, located in a former salt mill.

If you have never sailed before, you can develop sea legs at sailing school Wet4Fun Center in Playa Es Pujols, one of the island’s most Instagrammable beaches. For more experienced sailors, a perfect mooring spot is the southernmost point of the Balearics, Formentera’s Es Cap de Barbaria. Look out for the iconic lighthouse, which appeared in Julio Medem’s 2001 classic film, Lucia y el sexo.

You can also sea kayak along the 69km of coastline around the island. Westerly La Savina is an excellent point to start or end a kayaking tour. This pretty port offers a gentle backwater to ease yourself into or out of the Med. Stand up paddleboarding is another leisurely way to explore laidback Formentera. Northerly Platja es Calo sees the Mediterranean at its most serene, meaning that standing up is less of a balancing act than it would be elsewhere.

You will see more waves off the coast of Migjorn. This livelier surf makes it more suitable for both kitesurfers and windsurfers. At 5km long, it’s the stretchiest bit of sandy shoreline on the island, ensuring that you never feel crowded by fellow watersports enthusiasts.

  • Getting here: There is no airport on the island. The only way to reach Formentera is by ferry. It’s a 35-minute crossing from Ibiza Old Town to the port of La Savina.
Cala Saona in Formentera (Alessia Penny/iStock)

Best for wellness: Menorca

Playing minor to Majorca’s major, Menorca is just 698 sq km in size and a great place to escape the rat race. Attune yourself to nature in this beautiful paradise. You can get away from it all here without having to travel halfway across the world.

Menorca has long been held to have restorative powers. Archaeologists theorise that the ubiquitous taulas (Catalan for tables), the megalithic formations with similarities to Stonehenge dotted around the island, could well have been used for healing purposes. Whatever the reason for their existence, it is agreed they were made by the original inhabitants of the island. Remains suggest they resided on Menorca in relative isolation from the second millennium BC until the Roman era.

Menorca’s history has led to the emergence of wellness retreats across the island. Sailing Souls, for example, combines watersports tuition with daily meditation and yoga sessions. This yacht-based retreat follows the famously healthy Mediterranean diet as you sail around the island. This is a Spain that is the very antithesis of the Costa del Sol with the captain mooring at deserted beaches rather than crowded resorts.

For more land-based wellness, albeit with an outdoor mineral pool and spa, Fontenille Menorca Torre Vella is a retreat that allows you to explore Menorca’s wild nature. Open-air massages take place in shaded olive groves, and you can take in a view of the Med with cliffside yoga lessons. It’s unlikely that you will practise ‘downward dog’ in more beautiful surroundings.

There is nothing like a hike to clear your mind. Casa Ladico Boutique Hotel in Mao is positioned to take advantage of the 185 km GR-223 trail. Otherwise known as the Cami de Cavalls – Way of Horses – this was originally a military route that knights would use to defend the island from pirates. Nowadays, it is a popular hike that follows the circumference of Menorca.

For those that want to turn back time, Alaior’s Menorca Experimental is located on the site of a 19th-century finca. Each of the 43 rooms has its own splash pool, and its spa offers treatments in collaboration with French brand Biologique Recherche.

On the sustainability side, 150m from Punta Prima beach, is Insotel Punta Prima Prestige Suites and Spa, a five-star, eco-certified resort. The hotel offers 62 suites and a luxurious spa with treatments including the 110-minute Mediterranean Experience programme, which involves a circuit of the thermal area, comprising a sauna, steam room, caldarium and cold water bathtub, as well as a Natural Mediterranean scrub, seaweed remineralising and slimming wrap, and relaxing massage.

Within the island’s forest, meanwhile, is Buddhist retreat IKRC Menorca which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. It is the first Kadampa centre to be opened out of the UK – a movement that interprets classic Buddhism and adapts it to be more relevant to the modern world. There is an emphasis on achieving happiness by attaining inner peace. This could not be better positioned geographically and spiritually to help you restore your focal equilibrium.

  • Getting here: Located 4.5km south-west of the capital Mahon, Menorca’s airport is served year-round by Easyjet from London Gatwick. Easyjet operates seasonal flights from Belfast, Bristol, London Luton and Manchester. In addition, British Airways, Jet 2, Ryanair, and Tui offer summer-only connections from UK airports.

Words: Matthew Hirtes

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